The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-03-24
FIGHTING THEM OVER.
What0u Veterans Have TO Say About
Their Old Campaigns
CONNECTICUT cANNoNEER;

CONNECTICUT CANNONEERS
Sketch Of the Long Service or the LIST Conn.
II. A.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: In 1902 the
9TH Conn. was changed 10 what became known
as the LIST Conn. III. A., by order OF the War
Department. IL attained a remarkable degree
OF efficiency, and was soon alter ranked by
military Judges rs one OF the best volunteer
regiments OF heavy artillery la the held. AZ
had IL companies, aud was recruited TO
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED MEN.
il marched ont OF comfortable barracks Aprn
2 aud Joined the army under Mcclellan. III
took a siege train OF n pieces of artillery and
discmbalkod az Cheeseman's Landing, near
Yorktown Ii had some of the heaviest guns
in the scryice-200 pound PARROTS, loOpound
PARROTS 10 l3.inch sea-seryice mOrtars, and 10
I0-inch sea service mortars. These were heavier
than the guns placed before Sobastopo by the
English. For the service OF these guns IL was
necessary 20 convey l1Oi7 prqjectlles, weighing
az tons an this carrying was done by the
mon. During the - days before the evacua-
ton they carted 726 loads TO the depot. ON the
day Of the evacuation there were six batteries
OF a. m0rtars and guns ready TO throw l95 tons
OF metal daily into Yorktown.
Just rs everything was ready II was found
that the bird had flown. All the guns and pro-
jectilcs were Tc-embarkod aud transported To
White House. From this point the men
marched 10 old Church in thunderstorm, with
emud knee-deep. The regiment made recon-
noissances md destroyed the enemy's commu-
nicaions SO that they could not cross the
pamunley for a flank attack.
DETACHED AS INFANTRY,
the most OF the regiment was at Hanover Court
house in line of battle but was not actively
engaged Soon after the regiment formed the
advance of the infantry under Gen. MeCook
that followed the enemy in Stuart rad.
Ia June the Decentralization Of guns and
material az White House commenced, and IN
three days some OF the heavy guns were got IN
position aud opened fire on the rebels on the
othersidc OF the ChiCkahominy, dismOuntngth the
cnemys heaviest guns and making them remove
their camp. Next day we moved across Inc
river aud placed batteries on GOldlngs Hlll,
being under "a severe fire all DAY. When the
guns could be no longer useful the companies
were formed and led into line as infantry, de-
Tending the position, for which service we were
thanked by the General commanding.
In June ia guns with ammunition were
dragged up the steep ascent Of Malvern Hill 10y
Cos b. d. 4. X and /, working all night, after
their tedious marches of the week Its services
in the Pgninsular campaign wereacSnowledEed
by an order directing the names Siege OF
Yorktown" Hanover Courthouse" F" ChIcka-
hominy" Gaines Mill, and Malvern Hill
10 be placed on the coloIs AT the Withdrawal
OF the army the regiment resumed its place IN
THE FORTS OPPOSITE WASHINGTON.
il garTisened Forts Richardson, Scott, Berry
Barnard, Reynolds. Gurcsche and Mard, stretch
ing along Arlington Highs aud command.
ing ala the westward approaches 10 the Capital
As carly as April 20, 1864, Col Henry L. Alb
bot, commanding the lst Conn. III. A. in the de-
fenses al Washington had been directed by Gen.
HalleclS TO organize a siege train and report "a
Gen Butler at Bermuda Hundred. The train
was % consist at first OF 40 30-pound rifed
a. IA M
20 Coehom mortars, and six l00pound Par
rotis bat was increased largely aiterward
Twelve schOOners OF 200 tons burden each were
obtained from the Quartermasters Department
and the material was af0at by May 10. The
regiment was ordered forward IN advance OF
the tram, and arrived at
BERMUDA HUNDRED
400 strong, on May I3 The llcn were soon
at work constructing magazines, getting into
position the heavy guns already M, and
strengthening the lines, so that when, on May
1G the army f,ll back, the detenses were in a
state Of iOrWardness. From this date until the
latter part Of June artillery fire was kept
up at intervals along the lines.
On May - the rebels made an attack on
Wilson's Landing. The mail-b0at was stopped
and all the troops on board were landed 10 meet
the assault. Among them were six enlisted
men OF the LIST returning from veteran fur
longh. No officer Of the regiment was present.
These men volunteered 60 serve lGpound
Parrot gun then siienced, and did ii SO effect
lively as TO contribute materially 10 the repulse
OF the rebels They fired about 30 rounds and
their gun WAS the only one not silenced by the
enemy.
on May p the threeyears' service Of tho
regiment had expired, aud 37j men who had
moi re-cniisted rs veterans were mustered out
On june % the regular siege-train Of the LIST
Conn. II. A. arrived. Col Henry l.. Abbot
ffhflls 10.
ing officer OF the siege artillery, both OF the
Army al the Potomac and the Army OF The
James so that ali The siege artillery in front OF
Richmond and Petersburg was served under
him aud chiefly by the list Conn The regi-
mcnt had tram oil
GO ARTILLERY WAGONS.
Most OF the ammunition was kept afoat, being
landed only as required. The point IN front o.
the PETERSBURG mine when exploded was COW
cred by the lsi Conn. II. A., and the amount Of
siege artillery put into position preparatory tc
the explosion of the mine was GO pieces Tho
part assigned 20 the artillery was TO keep down
the fire Of the enemy upon the TANKS Of the
column OF attack and 10 keep back his rein
forcemcuJs.
After the battle Of The mine the firing n
front OF Petersburg and near the James River
was heavy. The aggregate number Of round.
fired during { lac months Of August, September
October, November, December 1854 and Jan
nary aud February, 1860, was 81 264 amount
ing 20 about 9J3 tons OF iron. The total mum
Der 81 rounds fired from the beginning of The
campaign 10 March ], 1865, was 55.335. Tn,
firing upon the Petersburg lines was so freoucn
rs 10 render ID difficult 10 select spccinl in
stances Tor mention. At all hours OF the dar
and night sudden artillery battles occurred
demanding the expenditure Of many tons O
ammunition.
One important event that occurred on In
Bermuda line in January, 1865, was tho al
tempt OF the rebel fleet 30 pass the obstruction
In tie James River. Three rebel rams ia
wooden gunb0at Drury small steam tOrpcd
bout and perhaps more, passed Fort Brad
under cover Of the darkness The gunaOat
CREATED GREAT ALARM,
ns their purpose was TO reach and destroy tn
Union transports laden with ammunition an
supplies in The river below. lB this they wel
fooled. They were sheled furiously from Fci
Brady and Batteries Parsons Wilcox, Spo.Ior
and Sawyer Al daylight TWO rams aud Oh
DTury were discovered aground near the lei
bank, some 800 yards above Parsons. Fir
was ut once opened from that battery wit
long percussion shell from the l00-p0undor
-cafFiagC was hit on the Drury by shell
which wounded five men. The smokestack Z
the ram Fredericksburg was considerably pei
f0ra,gd. aud six men on her wounded Th
Drury wa5 bat quIc q number of times.
] WISH 10 mention an incident that 0ccurc
here ~ this time. Serg't Albert j. SAippe
with detachment from 90. ID, was sent iheI